If you're searching for an interesting summer read, I've added some book reviews to the Russian Culture site under "Book and Media Review."

Here's the latest article from the Russian Culture site at BellaOnline.com.

Book Review "Russian Magic"Book review of "Russian Magic Living Folk Traditions of an Enchanted Landscape" by Cherry Gilchrist. Russian people are deeply intertwined with their landscape, their folktales, and their past.

**************************************************************BELLAONLINE ADVERTISING SPONSOR**************************************************************Educational Autism Tips For FamiliesThis ebook by the Autism Spectrum Disorders Editor is a resource for families entering the school system with an autism diagnosis.

************************************************************** Enter our Giveaways! We have many gorgeous items that we are giving away, including beautiful handmade Italian pottery from ItalianPottery.com, jewelry from AnneMaaDesigns.com and much more! Be sure to enter daily! Open to US and UK residents.

“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah 4:3-4

Not long ago, a group of college students was asked, “What’s the meaning of life?” And they gave some interesting definitions. One student said, “Life is a joke that isn’t even funny.” Another student surmised, “Life is a jail sentence for the crime of being born.” And another wrote, “Life is a disease with no cure.”

For many people around the world today, life is like that. To so many people, life is just a boring, relentless routine of nothing and they wonder “What’s happening?” That’s why so many people are committing suicide today and ending their lives. They’re asking, “Why live? Why go on?”

There are a lot of people who woke up this morning and nothing seemed to matter. And they’ve been left wondering, “Is it worth it to go on? Is it worth it to live another day?”

The answer is yes. The struggles that you face today didn’t happen while God was asleep. He saw them coming from eternity past and knew you would face them. He knew Jonah would want to take his own life in today’s passage, yet he used it as a lesson in humility.

Whatever the situation is that you face today, remember that it hasn’t caught God by surprise and take comfort that he’s always in control.

REMEMBER THAT GOD IS NEVER SURPRISED BY HARD TIMES. SO LOOK FOR WHAT HE’S DOING IN YOUR LIFE THROUGH THEM.

Every life, including yours, is a plan of God. That means that your life has a purpose… a destiny. And God wants to help you discover just what your destiny is!

In my new series called Destiny: God’s Favor – Your Future, you’ll learn from the life of Joseph that YOUR life has a purpose. You’ll learn to discover the dreams God has for your life. And you’ll see how those dreams can lead you to your God-given purpose and destiny!